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FKA Twigs and Warner Music Group CEO Robert Kyncl testified before the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Intellectual Property on Tuesday to discuss the dangers of exploitative artificial intelligence.
“AI cannot replicate the depth of my life journey, yet those who control it hold the power to mimic the likeness of my art, to replicate it and falsely claim my identity and intellectual property,” Twigs told Sens. Chris Coons’s (D-Del.), Marsha Blackburn’s (R-Tenn.) and members of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Intellectual Property.
“This prospect threatens to rewrite and unravel the fabric of my very existence. We must enact regulation now to safeguard our authenticity and protect against misappropriation of our inalienable rights.”
Twigs declared she was not necessarily against the new technology, announcing she had developed a deepfake (AI manipulated video, audio or images) version of herself. Twigs said her AI is “not only trained in [her] personality but also can use [her] exact tone of voice to speak many languages,” and further revealed she would be leveraging the technology to “extend my reach and handle my online social media interactions, whilst I continue to focus on my art from the comfort and solace of my studio.”
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But, “This is all under my control, and I can grant or refuse consent in a way that is meaningful,” Twigs said. “What is not acceptable is when my art and my identity can simply be taken by a third party and exploited falsely for their own gain, without my consent, due to the absence of appropriate legislative control and restriction.”
The duo’s appearance in D.C. is in connection to the NO FAKES Act proposal — which is aimed at defending American identities from nonconsensual AI-generated deepfakes with federal-level rules. Kyncl proposed federal regulation via property right licenses, respect for first amendment principals and consequences for AI builders.
At first glance, music may not be the obvious place to look for signposts of AI’s future. But think of the new worlds unlocked by the inventions like the printing press, phonograph, radio and internet. Each pushed music further and faster as an art form, and proved its power to drive the adoption of new technology. Music has often been the canary in the coal mine,” said Kyncl.
